This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
Maya loves the outdoors. She loves to watch the leaves falling and she enjoys dancing to the music made by the swaying trees. She is like the lotus flower, “a strong-willed flower, resilient as a nurtured child.” In Patricia Ambinder’s As Maya Grows in the Natural World, Maya is learning about the natural world around her and, as she learns, she nurtures her own self-confidence and an overwhelming love for nature. Because she loves nature so much, she will continue to grow into a champion for all that is precious and sacred about the natural world.
Patricia Ambinder’s picture book, As Maya Grows in the Natural World, is a simple, yet powerful story that will foster a love for nature in all young readers who share Maya’s story. The plot follows Maya through her exposure to the many wonders of the world, the jumping dolphins, sand between the toes, falling leaves and so much more. Told in rhyming verse, each page includes a quote about nature and its importance in our livelihood and overall well-being. Like the magnitude of the sea that overpowers our small existence, nature in all its greatness demonstrates that we, too, can be great when we demonstrate kindness, caring, and the joy of learning. Throughout the story is the underlying theme of resilience and beauty, symbolized by the lotus flower. Young readers, like Maya and her friends, will learn to respect and admire nature and take care of this delicate, yet important, natural world. Since earth and heart use the same letters, so too should the care, respect, and love we have for nature. Beautiful illustrations, and a profoundly beautiful story.